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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. suit — to fit
  3. net — after costs
  4. swing — to play on
  5. kick — in football
  6. current — happening now
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. present — a gift
  9. track — a path
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. track — to keep track
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. suit — in cards
  15. present — the time now
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. swing — in golf
  18. current — electric
  19. net — in sport
  20. track — a song
  21. swing — music
  22. present — there
  23. current — of water
  24. suit — clothes

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com